NZ vs ENG: Ben Foakes hammers his 4th Test fifty
What's the story
England's wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes slammed a timely half-century in the ongoing opening Test against New Zealand, which happens to be a Day-Night affair. The right-hander batted with intent as he scored 51 off 80 balls, a knock studded with five boundaries. Notably, Foakes also contributed with a handy 56-ball 38 in England's first innings. Here we look at his stats.
Knock
A well-paced knock from Foakes
The Three Lions were 225/5 in their second innings when Foakes arrived in the middle. He showcased remarkable application against the pink cherry, tightening England's grip over the contest. Notably, Foakes added important runs with the lower-order batters as England posted a mammoth 374. The 30-year-old eventually fell prey to debutant right-arm pacer Blair Tickner in the 61st over.
Stats
A look at Foakes' career stats
Foakes, who debuted in Tests in 2018, has now raced to 899 runs in 18 Tests at a decent average of 34.58. The tally includes four fifties and a couple of tons with his highest score being 113. The wicket-keeper has enjoyed playing against the Kiwis as he owns 196 runs in four Tests against them at 39.2 (2 half-centuries).
Summary
How has the match proceeded?
Batting first, England made a stunning declaration on 325/9. Harry Brook (89) and Ben Duckett (84) made key contributions. In reply, NZ rallied to 306/10. Tom Blundell slammed 138. Devon Conway struck 77. England, in their second innings, posted 374 thanks to fifties from Brook (54), Root (57), and Foakes (51). The Kiwis have been set a gigantic target of 394 runs.